Ochaun Mathis, EDGE Nebraska: Offseason 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Mathis was a three-star recruit from Manor High School in Manor, Texas in the class of 2018

Ochaun Mathis earned two Second-Team All-Big 12 selections at TCU before transferring to Nebraska for the 2022 season. The redshirt junior has special speed and suddenness for a player his size. With a more well-rounded game, Mathis could play his way into the top three rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft.

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Ochaun Mathis, EDGE Nebraska: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt junior defensive end from Manor, Texas

Background: Mathis was a three-star recruit from Manor High School in Manor, Texas in the class of 2018. He was the No. 746 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 748 for On3.com. Mathis was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 78 grade out of 100. As a high school senior, he totaled 75 tackles, seven sacks, and 13 tackles for loss. Mathis transferred from TCU to Nebraska in the spring of 2022. He earned a degree in general studies before transferring. Mathis was born on Jan. 8, 1999.

2021 Production: 12 games, 45 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 30 pressures, 2 sacks, 3 passes defensed

2020 Production: 10 games, 44 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 33 pressures, 8 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery

2019 Production: 12 games, 40 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 33 pressures, 2.5 sacks, 1 pass defensed

2018 Production: 4 games, 4 tackles, 0.5 tackle for loss, 1 pressure (Redshirt Year)

Injuries & Off-Field: N/A

Awards: 2020 Second-Team All-Big 12, 2020 Honorable Mention Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year, 2021 Second-Team All-Big 12

Pros: Special teams experience on the punt return and field goal block units, works inside rush lanes against tackles that overset or lack agility, spin and swim moves, plays in two and three-point stances, good linear speed, gets his hands up for PBUs, will chop the tackle’s outside arm and rip himself around the outside shoulder, lateral movement skills to work down the line to the football, explosive first step, special closing speed at his size, active hands, minimizes contact surface for linemen at the top of his rush, success as a speed rusher, instances of converting speed to power, good arm length, uses a one-arm stab to keep his outside shoulder free, speed to make plays as a backside run defender, suddenness to beat tackles around the edge, room to add more weight to his frame

Cons: Penalized five times in 2021, sealed outside on run plays, limited experience in coverage, lacks the speed and agility to consistently cover running backs, motor runs hot and cold in pursuit, doesn’t always look to get off blocks and redirect to the running back, needs to show a better pass rush plan, looks lean in his lower half, lacks counters once the tackle wins his chest, tackles can move him off the line in the run game, mediocre bend, doesn’t pack a lot of pop in his hands, underwhelming profile as a power rusher, anchor in run defense falters, limited pass rush arsenal

Overview: Mathis is unofficially listed at 6'5", 260 lbs. He applied pressure on 11.7% of his pass rush snaps in 2020 and 10.4% in 2021. TCU put Mathis in a lot of situations where he had to make reads. Compared to other All-Conference-caliber pass rushers, there were limited opportunities for him to pin his ears back and go get the quarterback. The redshirt junior’s best projection to the NFL is as a speed rusher. Mathis displays good linear speed, excellent lateral movement skills, an explosive first step, and surprising suddenness for a player his size. There are several plays where Mathis is almost at a standstill, but his suddenness allows him to dip around the tackle’s outside shoulder before the lineman even realizes what’s happening. The Texas native uses a variety of pass rush moves. He frequently uses a spin move and occasionally flashes a swim move. Mathis sometimes converts speed to power. He has active hands to chop the tackle’s outside arm and rip himself around the outside shoulder. Mathis’ impressive arm length allows him to use a one-armed stab to keep his outside shoulder free while gradually manipulating the tackle. He has the agility to work back inside when tackles overset and open inside rush lanes. Mathis’ closing speed helps him make plays as a backside run defender and in pursuit. However, he doesn’t play up to his listed weight of 260 lbs. He looks like he weighs significantly closer to 245 lbs. because of a lean lower half which causes trouble against the run. Tackles can easily seal Mathis on run plays or move him off the line. His anchor falters when trying to set hard edges or hold his ground on these plays. Mathis doesn’t offer much as a power rusher, and he might have to start his career in the NFL as a rotational defender while he adds more mass. He sometimes struggles to get off blocks, which suggests his upper body strength also needs to improve. Mathis has active hands but they lack violent pop. The Nebraska sack artist needs to develop more counters to escape tackles once he loses the initial rush. Mathis has average bend at best.

Overall, Mathis has eye-catching burst and suddenness for a pass rusher. His movement skills and pursuit range are impressive too. However, Mathis must improve his play strength throughout his frame to be a more effective run defender. He is too one-dimensional to be a Day 2 selection right now but has the potential to develop into a top 100 pick.

Role & Scheme Fit: Outside linebacker (possibly a designated pass rusher) is a 3-4 scheme

Round Projection: Early Fourth to Late Fourth

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 09-04-22